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Daily
Trojan
Volume LXXII, Number 20
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Monday, October 17, 1977
The Bakke case
Ramifications at USC unclear to administrators
By Gary Maloney
Though national repercussions may be felt if the Supreme Court makes a broad judgment in the Bakke case, a numberofhigh-rankingadministratorshere believe USC will be affected minimally by the decision, especially if the court rules in favor of Allan Bakke.
“I believe we can continue our programs within the framework of any decision,” said President John R. Hubbard. “Our track record is exemplary, in terms of numbers, financial aid or anything you want to consider.”
Specifically, the case deals with professional schools, particularly medicine and the health sciences, though the Law Center also is involved. At the University of California, Davis, a special admissions committee was established to fill 16 seats for disadvantaged students — this committee went further than that, limiting its criteria to minority students.
No such special program exists at the USC School of Medicine or any of the other health science divisions here, according to Joseph Van der Meulen, vice-president for health affairs.
Forthe School of Medicine, an anonymous screening committee of four, two of whom are minorities and one a woman, considers each application. Interviews are scheduled forthose passing the committee, from which roughly 85% pass and go on to the full 18-member admissions committee. The applicants are pared down to those accepted into the school.
For the past year, 4.000 applied for admission, of which about 900 were called for interviews. Between 750 and 800 students remained afler interviews and were cut to about 300 by the admissions body. From these,
136 enrolled this fall. Van der Meulen said.
Of the 300 or so accepted, 33 were minorities. Nine enrolled, comprising 6.6% of the class, he added.
“A major consideration for minority students wishing to attend the School of Medicine is the financial cost of going here.
UCLA’s tuition is much lower than ours, forexample,” Van der Meulen said.
“We also don’t offer financial aid until after a student has accepted our offer of a place in the school. We do not offer financial incentives to come here.”
“We do not give special consideration to any group,” said William Nerlich, associate dean of admissions for
ANALYSIS
the School of Medici ne. “No group or individual is treated differently. However, we do give consideration to those students who apply under a ‘disadvantaged’ status, which could stem from either ethnic or financial causes.”
But, Van der Meulen said,the university is not bound by
BBC
THE BAILS TWJAW '77
any quotas regarding race or any other attribute.
The enforcement of two recently enacted federal quotas has been postponed until the Bakke case is decided. One involves the acceptance of transfers of American students presently in foreign medical schools and the other requires American schools to train a minimum amount of doctors in primary care — family, internal and pediatric medicine. These quotas are being disputed by Yale, Harvard and Stanford Universities.
“We’d like to continue what we’re doing. No one likes the imposition of federal directives,” Nerlich said.
If the court rules in Allan Bakke’s favor, Van der Meulen believes there will be little change in the programs here. But if the University of California’s position prevails, he forsees a new wave of regulations that could include quotas.
“I would hope that if we were forced to go on government quotas, it would be for a definite period of time and not open-ended. It’s difficult for a private university to say ‘no’ to the federal government,” he said.
Complicating the matter, Nerlich said, is a generally decreasing pool of medical school applicants, including minorities. The Assn. of American Medical Colleges estimates that the amount of applicants to medical schools will drop 15% this year.
★ ★ ★ Intertwined with the admissions question is the matter of what constitutes relevant criteria for acceptance into medical — and other professional — schools.
Traditionally, grade-point averages and scores on professional aptitude tests, such as the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), have been the primary objective indices on applications. Interviews add a personal, subjective dimension to these figures.
Affirmative action programs, whether written as specific policy or merely kept in mind by admissions committees, press other criteria as important in the selection process. These include ethnic background and fi-(continued on page 7)
FACULTY, STUDENTS POLLED
Vie ws vary widely in potentially historic case
By Dave Leon Moore
Feature Editor
Imagine the difficulties one would face trying to uncover a consensus among USC students and faculty to the following questions:
• Who’s your all-time favorite Trojan tailback?
• What’s your favorite class?
• What’s your favorite color?
A consensus is impossible, right? Then consider the following question: How should the Supreme Court rule in the Bakke case?
Again, impossible, but certainly not uninteresting.
The Regents ofthe U niversity of California vs. Allan Bakke, the so-called “reverse discrimination” case, affects so many people, especially at a university setting, that it has become one of the most emotionally charged issues in the history of the high court.
At issue is the constitutionality of a UC Davis special admissions program reserving 16of lOOopenings for minorities. In its broadest sense,the case focuseson a classic conflict between minority needs and majority rights.
Reflecting the vast nationwide interest in the case,a record number of friend-of-the-court briefs have been sent to the Supreme Court.
The two sides of the issue were presented before the court during Wednesday’s oral arguments. Harvard law professor Archibald Cox, former
Watergate special prosecutor, represented the University of California by arguing that special admissions programs are necessary to overcome the effects of past injustices.
“There is no racially blind method of
that achievement, that ability are measured by skin pigmentation or by the surname of an individual,” Colvin said. “We have no contention here that Bakke has a constitutional right to be in medical school.. .Allan Bakke’s position is that he
selection that will enroll today more than a trickle of minority students in the nation’s colleges and professions,” Cox said. “These are the realities.. Ithinkthe court must face when it comes to its decision."
Bakke’s attorney, Reynolds H. Colvin, argues that the Constitution’s prohibitions against racial discrimination apply to whites as well as nonwhites, that it is unfair to judge anyone on the basis of race.
“We do not believe that intelligence,
has a right not to be discriminated against by reason of his race.”
★ ★ ★
So the lines in the case have been drawn. But there is a range of opinions in-between the arguments of Cox and Colvin.
“There is a whole spectrum as to what the court could decide. I’m not sure where I’d like to be along that spectrum,” said David Slawson, a USC law professor.
In a recent random survey of USC stu-
dents and faculty, some of the opinions along that spectrum surfaced.
“I think we have to protect the interest of the minorities,” said J. Wesley Robb, a religion professor who also teaches an ethics class on the medical campus.
“There is a long history that led to this crisis. You can’t forget that,” Robb said. “I’m in sympathy with minorities when they are put in competition with other students who have had better opportunities. I thinkyou have to put the equality of opportunity in a historical context.” Mary Gale, a teaching associate in law, said she is“ve ry strongly in favorofallow-ing minority admissions programs to continue.” Gale is on the Board of Directors ofthe American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California. The ACLU has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in favor of the University of California in the case.
Larry Simon, an associate professor of law, said he “would like to see the court hold that it is within the Constitution for the state university, which is the only one in question in this case, to have preferential minority programs if they wish to.
“But that’s not the question before the court,” Simon said. “The question is whether preferential programs for minorities are constitutional. I’d like the court to say that they are.”
Another law professor, Paul Burton, said he “would like to see a decision to continue the policy of preferential admissions programs.”
(continued on page 3)

Daily
Trojan
Volume LXXII, Number 20
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Monday, October 17, 1977
The Bakke case
Ramifications at USC unclear to administrators
By Gary Maloney
Though national repercussions may be felt if the Supreme Court makes a broad judgment in the Bakke case, a numberofhigh-rankingadministratorshere believe USC will be affected minimally by the decision, especially if the court rules in favor of Allan Bakke.
“I believe we can continue our programs within the framework of any decision,” said President John R. Hubbard. “Our track record is exemplary, in terms of numbers, financial aid or anything you want to consider.”
Specifically, the case deals with professional schools, particularly medicine and the health sciences, though the Law Center also is involved. At the University of California, Davis, a special admissions committee was established to fill 16 seats for disadvantaged students — this committee went further than that, limiting its criteria to minority students.
No such special program exists at the USC School of Medicine or any of the other health science divisions here, according to Joseph Van der Meulen, vice-president for health affairs.
Forthe School of Medicine, an anonymous screening committee of four, two of whom are minorities and one a woman, considers each application. Interviews are scheduled forthose passing the committee, from which roughly 85% pass and go on to the full 18-member admissions committee. The applicants are pared down to those accepted into the school.
For the past year, 4.000 applied for admission, of which about 900 were called for interviews. Between 750 and 800 students remained afler interviews and were cut to about 300 by the admissions body. From these,
136 enrolled this fall. Van der Meulen said.
Of the 300 or so accepted, 33 were minorities. Nine enrolled, comprising 6.6% of the class, he added.
“A major consideration for minority students wishing to attend the School of Medicine is the financial cost of going here.
UCLA’s tuition is much lower than ours, forexample,” Van der Meulen said.
“We also don’t offer financial aid until after a student has accepted our offer of a place in the school. We do not offer financial incentives to come here.”
“We do not give special consideration to any group,” said William Nerlich, associate dean of admissions for
ANALYSIS
the School of Medici ne. “No group or individual is treated differently. However, we do give consideration to those students who apply under a ‘disadvantaged’ status, which could stem from either ethnic or financial causes.”
But, Van der Meulen said,the university is not bound by
BBC
THE BAILS TWJAW '77
any quotas regarding race or any other attribute.
The enforcement of two recently enacted federal quotas has been postponed until the Bakke case is decided. One involves the acceptance of transfers of American students presently in foreign medical schools and the other requires American schools to train a minimum amount of doctors in primary care — family, internal and pediatric medicine. These quotas are being disputed by Yale, Harvard and Stanford Universities.
“We’d like to continue what we’re doing. No one likes the imposition of federal directives,” Nerlich said.
If the court rules in Allan Bakke’s favor, Van der Meulen believes there will be little change in the programs here. But if the University of California’s position prevails, he forsees a new wave of regulations that could include quotas.
“I would hope that if we were forced to go on government quotas, it would be for a definite period of time and not open-ended. It’s difficult for a private university to say ‘no’ to the federal government,” he said.
Complicating the matter, Nerlich said, is a generally decreasing pool of medical school applicants, including minorities. The Assn. of American Medical Colleges estimates that the amount of applicants to medical schools will drop 15% this year.
★ ★ ★ Intertwined with the admissions question is the matter of what constitutes relevant criteria for acceptance into medical — and other professional — schools.
Traditionally, grade-point averages and scores on professional aptitude tests, such as the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), have been the primary objective indices on applications. Interviews add a personal, subjective dimension to these figures.
Affirmative action programs, whether written as specific policy or merely kept in mind by admissions committees, press other criteria as important in the selection process. These include ethnic background and fi-(continued on page 7)
FACULTY, STUDENTS POLLED
Vie ws vary widely in potentially historic case
By Dave Leon Moore
Feature Editor
Imagine the difficulties one would face trying to uncover a consensus among USC students and faculty to the following questions:
• Who’s your all-time favorite Trojan tailback?
• What’s your favorite class?
• What’s your favorite color?
A consensus is impossible, right? Then consider the following question: How should the Supreme Court rule in the Bakke case?
Again, impossible, but certainly not uninteresting.
The Regents ofthe U niversity of California vs. Allan Bakke, the so-called “reverse discrimination” case, affects so many people, especially at a university setting, that it has become one of the most emotionally charged issues in the history of the high court.
At issue is the constitutionality of a UC Davis special admissions program reserving 16of lOOopenings for minorities. In its broadest sense,the case focuseson a classic conflict between minority needs and majority rights.
Reflecting the vast nationwide interest in the case,a record number of friend-of-the-court briefs have been sent to the Supreme Court.
The two sides of the issue were presented before the court during Wednesday’s oral arguments. Harvard law professor Archibald Cox, former
Watergate special prosecutor, represented the University of California by arguing that special admissions programs are necessary to overcome the effects of past injustices.
“There is no racially blind method of
that achievement, that ability are measured by skin pigmentation or by the surname of an individual,” Colvin said. “We have no contention here that Bakke has a constitutional right to be in medical school.. .Allan Bakke’s position is that he
selection that will enroll today more than a trickle of minority students in the nation’s colleges and professions,” Cox said. “These are the realities.. Ithinkthe court must face when it comes to its decision."
Bakke’s attorney, Reynolds H. Colvin, argues that the Constitution’s prohibitions against racial discrimination apply to whites as well as nonwhites, that it is unfair to judge anyone on the basis of race.
“We do not believe that intelligence,
has a right not to be discriminated against by reason of his race.”
★ ★ ★
So the lines in the case have been drawn. But there is a range of opinions in-between the arguments of Cox and Colvin.
“There is a whole spectrum as to what the court could decide. I’m not sure where I’d like to be along that spectrum,” said David Slawson, a USC law professor.
In a recent random survey of USC stu-
dents and faculty, some of the opinions along that spectrum surfaced.
“I think we have to protect the interest of the minorities,” said J. Wesley Robb, a religion professor who also teaches an ethics class on the medical campus.
“There is a long history that led to this crisis. You can’t forget that,” Robb said. “I’m in sympathy with minorities when they are put in competition with other students who have had better opportunities. I thinkyou have to put the equality of opportunity in a historical context.” Mary Gale, a teaching associate in law, said she is“ve ry strongly in favorofallow-ing minority admissions programs to continue.” Gale is on the Board of Directors ofthe American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California. The ACLU has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in favor of the University of California in the case.
Larry Simon, an associate professor of law, said he “would like to see the court hold that it is within the Constitution for the state university, which is the only one in question in this case, to have preferential minority programs if they wish to.
“But that’s not the question before the court,” Simon said. “The question is whether preferential programs for minorities are constitutional. I’d like the court to say that they are.”
Another law professor, Paul Burton, said he “would like to see a decision to continue the policy of preferential admissions programs.”
(continued on page 3)